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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23573068">Defensive</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/akire_yta/pseuds/akire_yta'>akire_yta</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>prompt ficlets [657]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Thunderbirds</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Gen, one-sided</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 20:48:01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>187</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23573068</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/akire_yta/pseuds/akire_yta</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Anonymous asked<br/>Brains/the mechanic and 52 (crack shipper :)<br/>52: Bottle of Smoke - The Pogues</p><p>(forgot to bring this one over from the music-is-my-boyfriend challenge, whoops!)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Brains/The Mechanic</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>prompt ficlets [657]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/53353</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Defensive</h2></a>
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    <p>The Mechanic had learned not to let his true feelings show - jolts of electricity, scalpels, pain, had been etched into him over the years until only a blank mask remained.</p><p>Seeing Hiram on the tilting launch panel had very nearly ripped it off.</p><p>There was no affection in the Hood’s world, only betrayal and lies and endless hurt. But Hiram had made good his promise, opened his lab to a vicious stranger, taken the worlds most dangerous bet on a man who’d earned no such gamble.</p><p>The Mechanic now felt invested in ensuring that Hiram came up aces.</p><p>There is little he can do from the Island, apart from run numbers and have contingencies, keep Mrs Tracy and Max safe like Hiram would want.  They have their own little war to fight deep in Brains’ lab, the Hood’s newest chew toys bouncing around still searching for the approval the Mechanic knew would never come.</p><p>Defending Hiram’s people, his things, his space, his work, is what he can do right here, right now, as he is and as broken as he feels.</p><p>He hopes Hiram understands the gesture.</p>
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